Changing damage types isn’t overpowered, the game is not balanced around damage types, a force-ball is exactly as powerful as a fireball, it can just be used in 1% more situations.
tell that to the MC tempest cleric| wizard who can now max damage his lightning balls using channel divinity.
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For my OoS Wizard, my DM ruled that we can use the damage change the same amount of times as my Intelligence modifier, and all charges regain on long rest. That makes the feature not as overpowered as it would normally be. What do you guys think about this?
For my OoS Wizard, my DM ruled that we can use the damage change the same amount of times as my Intelligence modifier, and all charges regain on long rest. That makes the feature not as overpowered as it would normally be. What do you guys think about this?
If it works for your party, then it's a good house rule tbh. I don't see a problem with the base rule but that's just me.
I'm not worried about the damage change feature so much. The point about OP because subverting resistance is a weak argument. Unless you are meta gaming, you won't know the enemy has resistance or vulnerability until it's revealed from actions in play (and that should be built into the encounter) Once you know, it's just a tool in the toolbox. The DM and other players need to call you out for meta gaming and quash that use. Meta gaming is the issue, not the feature.
I also disagree that this is off from a flavor perspective. Wizards don't just comb through old texts and copy existing lost spells into their personal spell book. They are curious. They experiment. Spells are dissected, and recombined and discoveries are made. It's a "scientific" process of trial and error. The flavor difference between wizards and sorcerers is how they wield magic. One does so through experimentation and discovery, the other wields magic innately. Sorcerer's need no curiosity around magic and how it's work, it's just happens like breathing. Magic is like a body part they use. There can be overlap in function, but the flavor of how they do so is very different.
My complaints are the level 10 and 14 features.
Manifest Mind is a less useful familiar, and wizards are already the only class that can cast the find familiar spell universally. It's a given that if you play a wizard you already have a familiar, unless it's a character quirk to not have one. This subclass feature is redundant and disappointing, and seems to only have been added to justify the level 14 'misty step' feature.
I'd prefer to see this changed to something that better represents the scribe archetype, like a bonus to or advantage on INT based skill checks. As the intellect in your spell book assists you in your research or analysis. Reminding you of facts or pointing out things you missed.
Manifest Mind
10th-level Order of Scribes feature
You are now able to conjure forth the mind of your Awakened Spellbook. As a bonus action while the book is on your person, you can cause the mind to manifest as a Tiny spectral construct, hovering in an unoccupied space of your choice within 60 feet of you. This presence is intangible and doesn’t occupy its space, and it sheds dim light in a 10-foot radius. It looks like a ghostly tome, a cascade of text, or a scholar from the past (your choice). The spectral mind has a number of hit points equal to your wizard level plus your Intelligence modifier, and it uses your Armor Class and saving throw modifiers.
While manifested, the spectral mind can hear and see, and it has darkvision with a range of 60 feet. As an action, you can hear and see using the its senses, instead of your own, until your concentration ends (as if concentrating on a spell).
Whenever you cast a wizard spell on your turn, you can cast it as if you were in the spectral mind’s space, instead of your own, using its senses. You can do so a number of times per day equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. As a bonus action, you can cause the spectral mind to hover up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space that you or it can see. It can pass through creatures but not objects. The spectral mind stops manifesting if it is ever more than 300 feet away from you, if it drops to 0 hit points, if you die, or if you dismiss it as a bonus action.
Level 14 is OP, a massive debuff , and has no subclass flavor, all at the same time. This needs to be scrapped entirely. I'd rather see something like an insert of the artificer Level 11 feature Spell Storing Item or some version of it using a scroll. Maybe debuff it a tiny bit and make it the level 10 feature, and insert the skill bonus/advantage i suggested here instead.
One with the Word
14th-level Order of Scribes feature
Your connection to your Awakened Spellbook has become so profound that your soul has become entwined with it. While you are holding the book and its spectral mind is manifest, you can take an action to cause the two of you to teleport, swapping places. You can teleport in this way a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Moreover, if you die but at least one spell remains in your Awakened Spellbook, you can return to life 1 minute later within 5 feet of the book. You revive with 1 hit point. Then roll 3d6. The book loses spells of your choice that have a combined spell level equal to that roll or higher. For example, if the roll’s total is 9, spells vanish from the book that have a combined level of at least 9, which could mean one 9th-level spell, three 3rd-level spells, or some other combination.
Thereafter, you are incapable of casting the lost spells, even if you find them on a scroll or in another spellbook. The only way to restore your ability to cast one of the lost spells is through the wish spell, which can restore one spell to the book per casting.
I'm not worried about the damage change feature so much. The point about OP because subverting resistance is a weak argument. Unless you are meta gaming, you won't know the enemy has resistance or vulnerability until it's revealed from actions in play (and that should be built into the encounter) Once you know, it's just a tool in the toolbox. The DM and other players need to call you out for meta gaming and quash that use. Meta gaming is the issue, not the feature.
I also disagree that this is off from a flavor perspective. Wizards don't just comb through old texts and copy existing lost spells into their personal spell book. They are curious. They experiment. Spells are dissected, and recombined and discoveries are made. It's a "scientific" process of trial and error. The flavor difference between wizards and sorcerers is how they wield magic. One does so through experimentation and discovery, the other wields magic innately. Sorcerer's need no curiosity around magic and how it's work, it's just happens like breathing. Magic is like a body part they use. There can be overlap in function, but the flavor of how they do so is very different.
My complaints are the level 10 and 14 features.
Manifest Mind is a less useful familiar, and wizards are already the only class that can cast the find familiar spell universally. It's a given that if you play a wizard you already have a familiar, unless it's a character quirk to not have one. This subclass feature is redundant and disappointing, and seems to only have been added to justify the level 14 'misty step' feature.
I'd prefer to see this changed to something that better represents the scribe archetype, like a bonus to or advantage on INT based skill checks. As the intellect in your spell book assists you in your research or analysis. Reminding you of facts or pointing out things you missed.
Manifest Mind
10th-level Order of Scribes feature
You are now able to conjure forth the mind of your Awakened Spellbook. As a bonus action while the book is on your person, you can cause the mind to manifest as a Tiny spectral construct, hovering in an unoccupied space of your choice within 60 feet of you. This presence is intangible and doesn’t occupy its space, and it sheds dim light in a 10-foot radius. It looks like a ghostly tome, a cascade of text, or a scholar from the past (your choice). The spectral mind has a number of hit points equal to your wizard level plus your Intelligence modifier, and it uses your Armor Class and saving throw modifiers.
While manifested, the spectral mind can hear and see, and it has darkvision with a range of 60 feet. As an action, you can hear and see using the its senses, instead of your own, until your concentration ends (as if concentrating on a spell).
Whenever you cast a wizard spell on your turn, you can cast it as if you were in the spectral mind’s space, instead of your own, using its senses. You can do so a number of times per day equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. As a bonus action, you can cause the spectral mind to hover up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space that you or it can see. It can pass through creatures but not objects. The spectral mind stops manifesting if it is ever more than 300 feet away from you, if it drops to 0 hit points, if you die, or if you dismiss it as a bonus action.
Level 14 is OP, a massive debuff , and has no subclass flavor, all at the same time. This needs to be scrapped entirely. I'd rather see something like an insert of the artificer Level 11 feature Spell Storing Item or some version of it using a scroll. Maybe debuff it a tiny bit and make it the level 10 feature, and insert the skill bonus/advantage i suggested here instead.
One with the Word
14th-level Order of Scribes feature
Your connection to your Awakened Spellbook has become so profound that your soul has become entwined with it. While you are holding the book and its spectral mind is manifest, you can take an action to cause the two of you to teleport, swapping places. You can teleport in this way a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Moreover, if you die but at least one spell remains in your Awakened Spellbook, you can return to life 1 minute later within 5 feet of the book. You revive with 1 hit point. Then roll 3d6. The book loses spells of your choice that have a combined spell level equal to that roll or higher. For example, if the roll’s total is 9, spells vanish from the book that have a combined level of at least 9, which could mean one 9th-level spell, three 3rd-level spells, or some other combination.
Thereafter, you are incapable of casting the lost spells, even if you find them on a scroll or in another spellbook. The only way to restore your ability to cast one of the lost spells is through the wish spell, which can restore one spell to the book per casting.
Manifest Mind is an improved Find Familiar. You're not limited to touch range and it has darkvision. Combined with the 30 feet hover this can give you options in combat a normal familiar doesn't have. The lvl 14 ability is a bit harsh in it's cost I agree but not that bad if for example it would have been 2d8 or 2d6.
It requires your bonus action to move the manifest mind. No such limitation on familiars, and many of the forms have better movement. Some even have dark vision. You can already deliver touch based attacks with a familiar. At 100 ft you're plenty far enough away from most of the action without removing you entirely from the actual combat. being 300ft away and delivering ALL spells from the manifest mind is akin to playing a wizard, piloting a wizard drone. A certain amount of character risk is necessary and expected for game balance and party investment.
Outside of combat, there is no distance limitation on a familiar, so they can be used for scouting, or delivering messages. Even given the ability to use the manifest mind's senses remotely at a greater distance, they can't really spy on the enemy because they glow in the dark.
Further from a narrative perspective many wizards develop a emotional attachment to their familiar, it becomes a friend. Are they going to just replace their familiar?
Even dismissing all of that. It's still redundant to the base class abilities in most respects. Which as a 10th level feature is pretty dissatisfying. Some of the other sub classes have great 10th level features. Enchantment has Split Enchantment. Evocation has Empowered evocation. Illusion has Illusory Self. My personal favorite is Divination with The Third Eye. I take that back, EVERY other Wizard sub class has a great 10th level feature.
Even if they want to insist on keeping the 10th level feature familiar related, maybe the mind shares with you the knowledge of giving your familiar the option of assuming one or more of the alternate familiar forms like Imp/Pseudodragon/Sprite/Quasit/Mephit?/Gazer. Could even keep the cast any spell from the familiar X number of times per rest. I still prefer this to be a knowledge based bonus or spell storing scroll feature. Either of which is more thematically in line with with the scribe archetype and the idea of an intelligent spell book.
I love this sub-class concept, it just needs refining.
As someone who has retroactively discovered the old "Lore Mastery" Wizard subclass from previous Unearthed Arcana, I must say, I think I might have preferred that.
The ability to swap damage types of spells certainly sounds similar; and is likely an inherited feature to the Scribe Wizard...but the Lore Mastery Wizard provided arguably more of a "scholarly" Wizard.
But here's what I enjoy about the "Order of Scribes":
"Wizardly Quill" I like very much for a Level 2 feature...it's a gimmick that could actually have creative implementation in play...honestly, my favorite part is that it can change colors at a whim...allowing an "artistic" or "painter" character to exist.
The "Awakened" spellbook is pretty interesting...creating a hologram of sorts that you can cast your spells through?
Good for roleplay, too...you can describe the appearance of the hologram in any way you choose...of the top of my head, I'm thinking Cortana from "Halo", Russell Crow from "Man of Steel", or Jarvis from "Ironman".
It uses concentration, though...so your spellcasting is somewhat restricted (not THAT big a deal).
The capstone, however...hmm...
...I like the concept...really, I do...you have become so intrinsically entwined with your spellbook, you have literally become "one" with magic...and so death eludes you...
...but you lose a piece of magic in exchange.
That's awesome from a roleplay mechanic...a bit costly for a long-term investment.
Anyway, that's what I like from "Order of the Scribes"...the other benefits just seem like quality-of-life improvements for general Wizards...
...actually, a lot of these Scribe features seem like they should be Wizard-exclusive Feats...bestowing a bonus to Intelligence along with the ability to have a back-up spellbook, or casting ritual spells without the 10 minute waiting period, or just simply cutting down on gold cost for spells...wrapping those features up into a subclass isn't particularly "exciting"...just convenient.
...circling back to the 'ol Lore Mastery Wizard...you just got some really solid stuff...Expertise in History or Arcana (you know; like a WIZARD)...burning your spell slots to add damage, or range, or a boost to your spell save DC...I wouldn't make the range a MILE, just double it...but those were useful features in a pinch in exchange for your class's most precious resource...
...then you got the ability to swap a spell you might not have prepared that day, once per day...that's just good utility...who hasn't been in that situation?
...and finally, the capstone was appropriately suitable...you've unlocked magic to a point where you can cast one spell from any class, not unlike a Bard...it isn't terribly broken, but it's FUN.
Honestly, I feel like Scribe Wizard's were an attempt to stitch together the Artificer "Archivist" and the "Lore Mastery" Wizard...when really, perhaps the "Lore Mastery" Wizard just needed some tweaking...
...you know, like not letting them swap a Strength save with an Intelligence save...that sort of mess.
just thought of this but blade of disaster from TCoE and meteor swarm allow a OoS wizard to deal 40d6 force damage to four areas, a bit op eh?
Its hardly any more powerful than Meteor Swarm already was. Its the same amount of damage. Changing the damage type just has the bonus of bypassing certain damage resistances/immunity. Finding a way around resistances/immunities is a nice boost for sure, but entirely situational and hardly overpowered.
Any other wizard would just cast a different, equally powerful 9th level spell that deals a different damage type to get around it OR (in the case of resistances specifically) invest in the Elemental Adept feat for their preferred damage type.
just thought of this but blade of disaster from TCoE and meteor swarm allow a OoS wizard to deal 40d6 force damage to four areas, a bit op eh?
I prefer to think of the damage swapping on Order of Scribes as a feature that enables them to prepare fewer combat spells and bypass immunity/resistance; basically you choose the spells whose effect(s) you like, then try to learn spells with the damage type(s) you want to choose from.
While it's certainly a strong ability, it's not actually enabling them to do any additional damage, it's just letting them do damage that might otherwise be halved, or require a backup spell instead. So in practice it just means you have more room on your prepared spells for other stuff you might want like situational and/or out of combat spells.
Really it just doubles down on the versatility on an already very versatile spellcaster, which is why I'm a fan of the sub-class, though other sub-classes have good boosts to specific spell types (possibly enabling more damage, or other shenanigans).
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With Manifest Mind, you are not catatonic when using it's senses, correct? This is a much stronger familiar, if so.
You can't normally use the mind's senses, it can however telepathically communicate to you anything it sees or hears; you can also temporarily adopt its senses when casting a spell, but you can only do so a finite number of times per long rest.
So for general surveillance a familiar is still superior, as you can see through its senses for a prolonged period to make use of your own skill proficiencies while doing so. That said, the fact that both can communicate what they see/hear means that there isn't usually a big advantage to seeing through either of them anyway, the main benefit in the mind's case is that it enables you cast from its location with a 299 foot thick wall of adamantine between you and its location. 😂
Also, you don't necessarily need to be completely catatonic; I like to think that while you're seeing through your familiar's senses, it's stuck in your body flopping around uselessly unable to operate it, not enough to move from the space, just enough to be funny. 😉
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Ok hear me out- cast invisibility on yourself, then use manifest mind, have it stand a decent distance away from you, and whammo, indestructible spellcasting platform with you directing it invisibility from a distance, up to 4 spells cast from it per long rest.
Imagine walking it into an enemy camp, getting everyone there to surround it, and then fireballing the area it's in.
Ok hear me out- cast invisibility on yourself, then use manifest mind, have it stand a decent distance away from you, and whammo, indestructible spellcasting platform with you directing it invisibility from a distance, up to 4 spells cast from it per long rest.
Imagine walking it into an enemy camp, getting everyone there to surround it, and then fireballing the area it's in.
I'm sure more creative uses could be thought up.
Invisibility ends if you cast a spell. Even if cast from your manifested mind's space, you are still the one casting the spell.
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Once the fireball goes off, the enemy will be too distracted anyway. Just dimension door out of sight.
The ability to spellcast from an effectively invulnerable platform that can send you sensory information from a distance is a huge tactical advantage. You can send it around corners a d get around cover. You can use it to get into areas where combat is going on and buff your allies with no chance of getting hit. If nothing else, it's a distraction, and if adversaries don't know what it is, they might take a swing at it.
Way better than a familiar in that respect, and there's nothing stopping you from having both a familiar AND a manifest mind. Even at the basic level, familiars (unless I'm reading wrong) can't cast spells without a touch range.
I like it mostly, but I think that the capstone is way to costly to be worth it.
If you die, you can come back one minute later at 1 hp by sacrificing 3d6 levels worth of spells, nearly permanently? At that level, someone in the party should be able to cast raise dead, costing around 500 gp per cast. You however, will loose on average 12 levels of spells, costing you 300 gp worth of ink to replace and a casting of wish, which does trigger the 33% chance of never casting it again. So I'd say you have an average of 3 castings of Wish before you run out for yourself, then you have to rely on finding an npc powerful enough to cast it and who would agree to cast it for you, risking losing it themselves as well.
If I were to use it, I think taking away the wish requirement and saying 'this only works if you have a spell slot of 6th level or higher, the highest of which is expended when you use this effect'. Still costly in the moment, and you still have to go and find those spells and re-scribe them, but having to cast wish is much to costly to me.
The spells magically appear back in the book. Where does wish come in?
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tell that to the MC tempest cleric| wizard who can now max damage his lightning balls using channel divinity.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
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For my OoS Wizard, my DM ruled that we can use the damage change the same amount of times as my Intelligence modifier, and all charges regain on long rest. That makes the feature not as overpowered as it would normally be. What do you guys think about this?
If it works for your party, then it's a good house rule tbh. I don't see a problem with the base rule but that's just me.
I'm not worried about the damage change feature so much. The point about OP because subverting resistance is a weak argument. Unless you are meta gaming, you won't know the enemy has resistance or vulnerability until it's revealed from actions in play (and that should be built into the encounter) Once you know, it's just a tool in the toolbox. The DM and other players need to call you out for meta gaming and quash that use. Meta gaming is the issue, not the feature.
I also disagree that this is off from a flavor perspective. Wizards don't just comb through old texts and copy existing lost spells into their personal spell book. They are curious. They experiment. Spells are dissected, and recombined and discoveries are made. It's a "scientific" process of trial and error. The flavor difference between wizards and sorcerers is how they wield magic. One does so through experimentation and discovery, the other wields magic innately. Sorcerer's need no curiosity around magic and how it's work, it's just happens like breathing. Magic is like a body part they use. There can be overlap in function, but the flavor of how they do so is very different.
My complaints are the level 10 and 14 features.
Manifest Mind is a less useful familiar, and wizards are already the only class that can cast the find familiar spell universally. It's a given that if you play a wizard you already have a familiar, unless it's a character quirk to not have one. This subclass feature is redundant and disappointing, and seems to only have been added to justify the level 14 'misty step' feature.
I'd prefer to see this changed to something that better represents the scribe archetype, like a bonus to or advantage on INT based skill checks. As the intellect in your spell book assists you in your research or analysis. Reminding you of facts or pointing out things you missed.
Level 14 is OP, a massive debuff , and has no subclass flavor, all at the same time. This needs to be scrapped entirely.
I'd rather see something like an insert of the artificer Level 11 feature Spell Storing Item or some version of it using a scroll. Maybe debuff it a tiny bit and make it the level 10 feature, and insert the skill bonus/advantage i suggested here instead.
Manifest Mind is an improved Find Familiar. You're not limited to touch range and it has darkvision. Combined with the 30 feet hover this can give you options in combat a normal familiar doesn't have. The lvl 14 ability is a bit harsh in it's cost I agree but not that bad if for example it would have been 2d8 or 2d6.
It requires your bonus action to move the manifest mind. No such limitation on familiars, and many of the forms have better movement. Some even have dark vision. You can already deliver touch based attacks with a familiar. At 100 ft you're plenty far enough away from most of the action without removing you entirely from the actual combat. being 300ft away and delivering ALL spells from the manifest mind is akin to playing a wizard, piloting a wizard drone. A certain amount of character risk is necessary and expected for game balance and party investment.
Outside of combat, there is no distance limitation on a familiar, so they can be used for scouting, or delivering messages. Even given the ability to use the manifest mind's senses remotely at a greater distance, they can't really spy on the enemy because they glow in the dark.
Further from a narrative perspective many wizards develop a emotional attachment to their familiar, it becomes a friend. Are they going to just replace their familiar?
Even dismissing all of that. It's still redundant to the base class abilities in most respects. Which as a 10th level feature is pretty dissatisfying. Some of the other sub classes have great 10th level features. Enchantment has Split Enchantment. Evocation has Empowered evocation. Illusion has Illusory Self. My personal favorite is Divination with The Third Eye. I take that back, EVERY other Wizard sub class has a great 10th level feature.
Even if they want to insist on keeping the 10th level feature familiar related, maybe the mind shares with you the knowledge of giving your familiar the option of assuming one or more of the alternate familiar forms like Imp/Pseudodragon/Sprite/Quasit/Mephit?/Gazer. Could even keep the cast any spell from the familiar X number of times per rest. I still prefer this to be a knowledge based bonus or spell storing scroll feature. Either of which is more thematically in line with with the scribe archetype and the idea of an intelligent spell book.
I love this sub-class concept, it just needs refining.
As someone who has retroactively discovered the old "Lore Mastery" Wizard subclass from previous Unearthed Arcana, I must say, I think I might have preferred that.
The ability to swap damage types of spells certainly sounds similar; and is likely an inherited feature to the Scribe Wizard...but the Lore Mastery Wizard provided arguably more of a "scholarly" Wizard.
But here's what I enjoy about the "Order of Scribes":
"Wizardly Quill" I like very much for a Level 2 feature...it's a gimmick that could actually have creative implementation in play...honestly, my favorite part is that it can change colors at a whim...allowing an "artistic" or "painter" character to exist.
The "Awakened" spellbook is pretty interesting...creating a hologram of sorts that you can cast your spells through?
Good for roleplay, too...you can describe the appearance of the hologram in any way you choose...of the top of my head, I'm thinking Cortana from "Halo", Russell Crow from "Man of Steel", or Jarvis from "Ironman".
It uses concentration, though...so your spellcasting is somewhat restricted (not THAT big a deal).
The capstone, however...hmm...
...I like the concept...really, I do...you have become so intrinsically entwined with your spellbook, you have literally become "one" with magic...and so death eludes you...
...but you lose a piece of magic in exchange.
That's awesome from a roleplay mechanic...a bit costly for a long-term investment.
Anyway, that's what I like from "Order of the Scribes"...the other benefits just seem like quality-of-life improvements for general Wizards...
...actually, a lot of these Scribe features seem like they should be Wizard-exclusive Feats...bestowing a bonus to Intelligence along with the ability to have a back-up spellbook, or casting ritual spells without the 10 minute waiting period, or just simply cutting down on gold cost for spells...wrapping those features up into a subclass isn't particularly "exciting"...just convenient.
...circling back to the 'ol Lore Mastery Wizard...you just got some really solid stuff...Expertise in History or Arcana (you know; like a WIZARD)...burning your spell slots to add damage, or range, or a boost to your spell save DC...I wouldn't make the range a MILE, just double it...but those were useful features in a pinch in exchange for your class's most precious resource...
...then you got the ability to swap a spell you might not have prepared that day, once per day...that's just good utility...who hasn't been in that situation?
...and finally, the capstone was appropriately suitable...you've unlocked magic to a point where you can cast one spell from any class, not unlike a Bard...it isn't terribly broken, but it's FUN.
Honestly, I feel like Scribe Wizard's were an attempt to stitch together the Artificer "Archivist" and the "Lore Mastery" Wizard...when really, perhaps the "Lore Mastery" Wizard just needed some tweaking...
...you know, like not letting them swap a Strength save with an Intelligence save...that sort of mess.
Concentration is only required if you are seeing/hearing through its senses.
just thought of this but blade of disaster from TCoE and meteor swarm allow a OoS wizard to deal 40d6 force damage to four areas, a bit op eh?
Its hardly any more powerful than Meteor Swarm already was. Its the same amount of damage. Changing the damage type just has the bonus of bypassing certain damage resistances/immunity. Finding a way around resistances/immunities is a nice boost for sure, but entirely situational and hardly overpowered.
Any other wizard would just cast a different, equally powerful 9th level spell that deals a different damage type to get around it OR (in the case of resistances specifically) invest in the Elemental Adept feat for their preferred damage type.
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Ok thank you
I prefer to think of the damage swapping on Order of Scribes as a feature that enables them to prepare fewer combat spells and bypass immunity/resistance; basically you choose the spells whose effect(s) you like, then try to learn spells with the damage type(s) you want to choose from.
While it's certainly a strong ability, it's not actually enabling them to do any additional damage, it's just letting them do damage that might otherwise be halved, or require a backup spell instead. So in practice it just means you have more room on your prepared spells for other stuff you might want like situational and/or out of combat spells.
Really it just doubles down on the versatility on an already very versatile spellcaster, which is why I'm a fan of the sub-class, though other sub-classes have good boosts to specific spell types (possibly enabling more damage, or other shenanigans).
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Sorry for the Necro...
BUT...
With Manifest Mind, you are not catatonic when using it's senses, correct?
This is a much stronger familiar, if so.
Thanks in advance.
~Mad
You can't normally use the mind's senses, it can however telepathically communicate to you anything it sees or hears; you can also temporarily adopt its senses when casting a spell, but you can only do so a finite number of times per long rest.
So for general surveillance a familiar is still superior, as you can see through its senses for a prolonged period to make use of your own skill proficiencies while doing so. That said, the fact that both can communicate what they see/hear means that there isn't usually a big advantage to seeing through either of them anyway, the main benefit in the mind's case is that it enables you cast from its location with a 299 foot thick wall of adamantine between you and its location. 😂
Also, you don't necessarily need to be completely catatonic; I like to think that while you're seeing through your familiar's senses, it's stuck in your body flopping around uselessly unable to operate it, not enough to move from the space, just enough to be funny. 😉
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Ok hear me out- cast invisibility on yourself, then use manifest mind, have it stand a decent distance away from you, and whammo, indestructible spellcasting platform with you directing it invisibility from a distance, up to 4 spells cast from it per long rest.
Imagine walking it into an enemy camp, getting everyone there to surround it, and then fireballing the area it's in.
I'm sure more creative uses could be thought up.
Invisibility ends if you cast a spell. Even if cast from your manifested mind's space, you are still the one casting the spell.
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I'm not sure what invisibly really gets you in the enemy camp scenario anyway... Just be hidden somewhere 300ft away
Once the fireball goes off, the enemy will be too distracted anyway. Just dimension door out of sight.
The ability to spellcast from an effectively invulnerable platform that can send you sensory information from a distance is a huge tactical advantage. You can send it around corners a d get around cover. You can use it to get into areas where combat is going on and buff your allies with no chance of getting hit. If nothing else, it's a distraction, and if adversaries don't know what it is, they might take a swing at it.
Way better than a familiar in that respect, and there's nothing stopping you from having both a familiar AND a manifest mind. Even at the basic level, familiars (unless I'm reading wrong) can't cast spells without a touch range.
Even better!
The spells magically appear back in the book. Where does wish come in?
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